Halifax County stretches across about 730 square miles of generally flat land in northeastern North Carolina, from the old textile mill town of Roanoke Rapids to Weldon, Scotland Neck, Enfield, Littleton, Hobgood and the county seat of Halifax. Flat ground keeps most yards and driveways easy. The stairs that cause trouble are usually inside the house or at the front step.
Homes here run from single-family homes and split-level homes to duplexes, townhouses and walk-up apartments. Each one puts the stairs in a different spot, and that decides which kind of stair lift makes sense. This page walks through those differences and the programs that may help a family in South Rosemary, Hollister, South Weldon or anywhere else in the county pay for one.
A split-level home usually has short runs of stairs between levels. Each short run is often straight, which keeps the job simpler, but a split-level can have more than one set of steps a person uses every day. We look at which levels hold the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen before recommending anything.
Townhouses and many single-family homes with a second floor tend to have one full flight. If that flight goes straight from bottom to top, a straight rail is the usual fit. A landing or a turn partway up calls for a curved rail, which is built to the shape of that staircase.
Walk-up apartments and duplexes raise a different question: who owns the stairs. Owners can make changes to their own home without asking anyone, while a renter needs the landlord's approval first. As of the 2020 census, 63.6% of the county's 24,735 housing units were owner-occupied.
Because the land is mostly flat, many homes only have a few steps up to the porch or door. Those few steps can still keep someone from getting out to an appointment. An outdoor stair lift built for weather, or a platform lift for a wheelchair user, can handle that entry.
As of the 2020 census, 56.1% of residents lived in rural areas. In a rural house the porch steps are often the only way in and out, so we measure that entry along with any inside stairs.
As of the 2020 census, 22.3% of Halifax County residents were age 65 or older and the median age was 46.1 years. Many of the calls we get come from adult children helping a parent stay in the family home rather than move.
The Halifax County Veterans Service Office at 4421 US Hwy 301 in Halifax, (252) 538-6789, can help a veteran sort out which VA benefits apply before you spend money.
Household incomes in the county are modest, with a median household income of $26,459 in the figures the county profile cites. That makes public and nonprofit programs worth checking before paying out of pocket. None of the programs below name stair lifts outright, and one VA grant excludes them, so call and ask how your situation fits.
A good first call is the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging at (252) 234-5952 or the Halifax County Council on Aging at (252) 538-6755. They can tell you which local programs are funded right now. Homeowners age 60 and up who need money for home repairs should ask about the state Housing and Home Improvement Assistance, which has a cap of $7,000 per program year.
Separately from paying for the lift, the Elderly or Disabled Property Tax Homestead Exclusion (G.S. 105-277.1) is a statewide program that some older or disabled homeowners can use to lower their property tax bill.
A Medicaid waiver for adults 18 and older who need a nursing-facility level of care but want services at home; its covered categories include equipment, modification and technology, though stair lifts are not named. Call (833) 522-5429.
Provides up to $7,000 per individual per program year for people age 60 or older, including mobility and accessibility improvements; stair lifts are not named and a local provider must be funded in Halifax County. Call (800) 662-7030.
The regional referral point for aging programs in Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash, Northampton and Wilson counties; it does not list a stair lift benefit but can tell you what is funded locally. Call (252) 234-5952.
Offers nutrition, transportation, health, day care and in-home services for Halifax County residents age 60 and up; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (252) 538-6755.
Offers very-low-income rural homeowners loans up to $40,000 at 1% interest, plus grants up to $10,000 for those age 62 and older, to repair, improve or modernize a home; stair lifts are not mentioned. Call (919) 873-2000.
An interest-free deferred loan, forgiven at $5,000 per year, for elderly or special-needs homeowners below 50% of area median income that can pay for accessibility modifications; stair lifts are not named. Call (919) 877-5700 to find the local partner.
Serves people with a significant disability who face severe limits in independent living, with services that include home modifications and assistive technology. Stair lifts are not named, and some services depend on financial need.
Pays up to $6,800 or $2,000 over a lifetime for medically necessary structural changes for veterans, but it specifically excludes porch lifts and stair glides. The Halifax County Veterans Service Office at (252) 538-6789 can help with other VA options.
Grants of up to $126,526 (SAH) or $25,350 (SHA) for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities to buy, build or change a permanent home; stair lifts are not named. Ask the Halifax County Veterans Service Office at (252) 538-6789.
Older adults
121 W. Main St., Williamston, 27892
Veterans
4421 US Hwy 301, Halifax, 27839
Yes, two places serve that age group. The Halifax County Council on Aging at (252) 538-6755 covers residents 60 and up, and the state Housing and Home Improvement Assistance offers up to $7,000 per program year for people 60 or older if a local provider is funded in the county.
Not through the HISA grant, which lists stair glides and porch lifts as excluded. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either way, so a veteran should ask the Halifax County Veterans Service Office at (252) 538-6789.
The CAP/DA waiver covers a category called equipment, modification and technology, but it does not name stair lifts. Eligibility requires a nursing-facility level of care, so call (833) 522-5429 to ask about a specific case.
A renter needs the landlord's approval before anything is installed, while an owner can go ahead directly. Most of the repair and home improvement programs on this page are written for homeowners.
Sometimes. We start by finding out which levels hold the rooms used every day, then fit a lift to the run or runs of stairs that block those rooms.
Start with the Upper Coastal Plain Area Agency on Aging at (252) 234-5952. It serves Halifax County and can tell you which home improvement programs are currently funded locally.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
